Ind-born who accused cops of assault compensated

An India-born man, who accused two New York City police officers of assaulting him, has been awarded US$ 20,000 in compensation by a federal jury, which held the officers guilty of violating his civil rights.

An India-born man, who accused two New York City police officers of assaulting him, has been awarded US$ 20,000 in compensation by a federal jury, which held the officers guilty of violating his civil rights.

The man had also accused the officers of racial abuse.

A Brooklyn federal jury found that two police officers from the Queens are guilty of excessive force for hitting a man in the groin with a flashlight repeatedly, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported.

Harwinder Vilkhu, 36, said the officers had grabbed him by the collar while he was sitting outside the York College Performing Arts Centre and hit him in the groin and stomach with a flashlight when he asked their names and the reason they were mistreating him.

Vilkhu, who was then left at the scene, was picked up by an ambulance and taken to a local hospital. The incident took place in May 2005.

Vilkhu, who had acquired American citizenship four months earlier, was called "all sorts of racist names" by the two officers, his lawyer Mariann Meier Wang said.

The two officers hit another man on the head with a flashlight while arresting him a month later, the daily said.

Officer Adam Jangel and Sgt Michael Hoehl, who were found guilty after a two-week trial, maintained they did not hit the plaintiff or used force against him, Wang said.

"I'm very pleased they vindicated our client's constitutional rights and saw through the fabrications of the officers," Wang said.